Roomy At The Inn

We are in Winnipeg, we're here long enough to put down roots. We'll except that the ground is frozen solid and  the temperature high's are around -20. I refuse to ask how low they go. Since we are going to be here for a whole day, we've taken this room and moved everything around to maximize our enjoyment of it. Partly because of access but partly because of the peculiarities of our personalities too. For example, right now I'm sitting writing at the desk that has been relocated from the bed area to the living area. I am always first one up and I wanted the desk far away from where Joe will be sleeping so that I can do what I need to do on the computer. I've a whack of work waiting from Vita, and I'm about to go tear into that next. So, all this to say, we moved the desk.

We never did this before disability. Never! We always thought that there was some master plan that we'd be upsetting by moving a thing or two. But, once we started moving this chair that way, putting that coffee table over there - just to make ease of movement in the chair a priority, nothing else seems to matter any more. Accessibility is a thousand things and one of them is me writing on the computer while Joe sleeps, that makes a room more accessible for, not 'disabled Dave', but for 'Dave who lives with Joe'. Now, we figure they probably don't care as long as ...

we don't trash the rooms like drunks upset that their team lost

we don't party all night with hookers and puke all over the bathroom

we don't get upset when talking to someone on the phone and smash the television in

Really, hoteliers have seen so much. Two old gentlemen moving the desk to the back wall of the living area - probably isn't on their radar. Especially, when, we'll put it back when done.

Joe and I were talking abut this as we moved things about. We're here for a good long stay and it's going to have the stamp of  'Joe and Dave' on the room by the end. But the room won't be trashed, the maid won't be cleaning up buckets of vomit and the television will be left in working order. But it will have furniture shoved around so we can access the kind of lives we both want. I like this. You know why? Because now Joe is determining what his needs are in a room, and how the room could be structured for him - we are making it OUR room, not simply, the wheelchairs.